Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with lapse

MiniDV camcorder advice please!

kenchie — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:24:28 -0800

I'm in the (UK) market for a MiniDV camcorder. Ideally I want one with an interval rec feature so I can use it for making time lapse films. Does anyone know of a low-ish budget model that has this please?

How to shoot an 18000 frame time lapse?

Pink Fuzzy Bunny — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 11:58:59 -0800

I want to turn a 10 hour drive into a 10 minute time lapse video. I have read through the question that was asked last year on this same subject, and I need some clarification on some points.

The video I want to shoot is a continuous shot of my trip, no cuts or breaks.

From the research I have done, it sounds like the best way to archive this is to hook up a still camera to a laptop and have it capture on a timer.
I have an old Canon G1, but it cant take and transfer the shots fast enough for what I need (1 frame every 2 seconds).
I also have a Nikon d80 DSLR, but I am wondering if taking 18,000 frames in a day (10 minutes at 30 frames a second) will adversely affect the lifespan of the camera?

Another option is to buy a webcam, I noticed that the Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 ships with a 2mp sensor, would this give me enough quality for later projection of the movie?

To store the shots I am thinking of having the camera hooked up to my laptop because its going to make a lot of data. Will running my laptop off a DC inverter in a moving car harm either my alternator or the laptop?

Are there any other cheap ways to do this?

How can I build a house in 20 minutes?

slimeline — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 03:33:35 -0800

How to make a time lapse movie of a 2 year construction project? There is a new building being built in my university campus it should be finished by 2009. I want to capture the whole process of erecting the building by shooting few frames every day and editing them into a time lapse movie that will last 20 minutes. there is a tall building next to the building site, so I will be able to fit a camera at a high vintage point. My main question is about the best technology to use. Ideally I would like the whole process of capturing to be as automatic as possible, as it is not practical to be there every day to take pictures myself. I was thinking of using a wireless web-cam, but have no experience of such devices and don't know how reliable they are. If there is anyone here with knowledge of video, What will be the best way of making this movie? Thank you for your help.

Make a DVD to play at 1 frame per minute?

bystander — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:46:18 -0800

Make a DVD to play at 1 frame per minute? I want to take a bunch of time lapse photos, shot 1 minute apart, and play them back on a TV in real time, so the TV mimics a window. What software can I do this with, preferably on windows?
Ideally, I want to stick a DVD in the player, press play and then it plays for 12 or 24 hours. Is this possible? I know some DVD players have photo slide show functions, but my preference is to just play a very slow movie.

Shooting time-lapse video?

robbie01 — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 01:05:43 -0800

I want to shoot some time-lapse video. No video camera or editing software purchased yet. I want to shoot a couple of time-lapse videos. Specifically two commonly seen shots: a sunset-to-sunrise progression in a static location, and one of those driving-in-a-car down the open highway shots.

I haven't purchased (and have never owned) a videocamera, though of course I've used several before, nor do I own yet what I think will be my editing platform (a MacPro desktop running Final Cut Express HD). When I do go to the pull the trigger on a video camera, I'm kinda eyeing one of the consumer-grade HD-capable models from Sony. I expect I will need a crap-ton of hard drive space as well, especially if I'm shooting HD.

Anyway, the main question is: how does one shoot time-lapse video? Is it a function of the camera, or is it done via software in post-processing?

I understand that the most popular format for digital video is tape-based MiniDV, which brings me to my first quandary: can you capture an entire 12-20 hour sequence onto a single tape? Or do you have to bite the bullet and do a tape change or two midway through the shoot?

Or do most/all cameras have a special mode that will only capture 1 frame every x seconds, or a "slow-motion" record that would play back the video in hyperspeed when watched at regular speed?

I imagine it's preferable to use AC power for the camera to avoid battery issues.

If it's better (or preferred for practicality) to achieve time-lapse effects with software, can most of the major editing packages create the effect easily, or is there a special niche software application designed for this purpose?

Any other caveats I should be aware of in shooting time-lapse? (other than obvious ones like use a tripod, don't move the camera, and expect lighting conditions to change.)

Any hardware/software purchasing tips differing from my proposed setup (a Sony HD video camera and a MacPro running Final Cut Express HD) are welcome.

Who is the artist?

wsg — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 11:47:48 -0800

I remember back in the 70s seeing a story on TV about an artist who filmed himself punching a timeclock every hour 24/7 for a whole year. At the end of the year he had a short time-lapse film of himself punching a clock 365 times. He had shaved his head at the beginning of the year, so you could see his hair growing over the duration of the film. He described how he had to structure his life in order to be able to do the filming every hour and how his mind began to short circuit from not getting enough REM sleep from sleeping in only hour-long stretches at a time. I'd like to see that film again. Does anybody else remember this story and/or who this guy is?